1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a recording apparatus for use in a printer, copier, facsimile apparatus and so on for recording an image on a recording medium such as paper, plastic sheet and so on.
2. Related Background Art
Generally, a recording apparatus having a recording mechanism of ink jet type, a heat-sensitive transfer recording mechanism, or the like performs a recording operation while scanning the recording mechanism relative to a recording medium to generate a two-dimensional image.
The structure of this mechanism, for example, provided in an ink jet recording apparatus, is such that recording media 51 stacked in a cassette 50 are one-by-one fed out by a pick-up roller 52, and sandwiched and transported by a pair of transporting rollers 53a, 53b and a pair of discharging rollers 54a, 54b, as shown in FIG. 6. A carriage 56 is reciprocally moved in the direction perpendicular to the surface of FIG. 6 relative to the recording medium 52 which has the rear surface supported by a platen 55, while ink is discharged from a recording head 57 mounted on the carriage 56.
In the above-mentioned structure, however, the ink jet head 57 faces the recording medium 51 from above the transporting roller pair 53a, 53b and the discharging roller pair 54a, 54b, and is scanned at a location close to the platen 55 which is positioned at a height substantially equal to nips of both roller pairs 53a, 53b and 54a, 54b, whereby if an abnormal transportation (jam) of the recording medium occurs in course of a recording operation and the recording operation is to be stopped to treat the jam, the following problems arises:
(1) When the upper rollers 53b, 54b of the transporting roller pair and the discharging roller pair are to be moved upwardly for facilitating the removal of the recording medium 51 from both roller pairs 53a, 53b, and 54a, 54b, the carriage 56 touches these upper rollers. Thus, a sufficient space cannot be assured for the rollers 53b, 54b to move in order to release the roller pressure. A sufficient space can neither be assured for treating the jammed recording medium 51, thereby making the jam recovery treatment difficult.
(2) When a jam occurs, the recording medium 51 on the platen 55 may often be raised off the platen 55. If the carriage 56 is returned to the home position, an ink discharging surface of the recording head 57 may be rubbed by the recording medium 51, which possibly leads to damaging nozzle tips of the recording head 57.